Post Graduate Certificate-Family Nurse Practitioner
Take the next step after your Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree and pursue a post-graduate Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Certificate. CTU’s FNP Certificate program is designed to help nurses with an MSN degree prepare to become advanced practice Family Nurse Practitioners.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of advanced practice nurses, including nursing practitioners, is expected to grow 45 percent from 2019 to 2029.1 Prepare for your advanced licensure and national certification exam with the FNP certificate program at CTU.
CTU’s Post Graduate Certificate-Family Nurse Practitioner program:
- Helps MSN-prepared nurses to pursue a Family Nurse Practitioner concentration
- Offers an opportunity to prepare for advanced licensure and to sit for the national certification exam
- Tuition cost starting at $28,0802
- Can be completed in as few as 21 months2
Program details are provided lower on the page.
Classes start June 13, 2023 *
*Start dates may vary by program and location.
CLASSES START
- June 13, 2023
- July 25, 2023
- August 29, 2023
TOTAL CREDITS
PROGRAM AVAILABILITY
Program Details
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Program Overview
The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) post-graduate certificate program will help the MSN prepared nurse prepare to become an advanced practice Family Nurse Practitioner capable of managing the health care of individuals across the lifespan by providing preventive and primary care, promoting optimal health and wellbeing, and management of chronic illnesses.
Nurse practitioners are involved in patient history taking, physical examination, diagnostic testing, diagnosis, and treatment. Nurse practitioners are educated at the graduate level, prepared to take the national certification exam, and then licensed by the state to practice at an advanced level.
The FNP program integrates a foundation of evidence-based practice, population health, policy, informatics and nursing theory, with concentration courses in pathophysiology, pharmacology, and assessment, to help the student prepare for rigorous FNP didactic and clinical coursework. The program’s 630 direct-care clinical hours are designed to provide the student with the clinical experience needed to develop in their new role and deliver primary care for families. Combining didactic coursework with direct care clinical experience, students study how to manage care that is interdisciplinary, collaborative and culturally appropriate as well as provide primary care to diverse, underserved, and vulnerable populations across the lifespan.
FNPs work independently as well as collaboratively with other clinicians and health care and social service professionals in a variety of settings, such as clinics, schools, hospitals, homes, workplaces and community-based organizations.
The PGC-FNP prepares nurses for advanced licensure and to sit for the national certification exam. Certification exam applicants may be denied exam eligibility based on a past criminal record.
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Degree Requirements
Courses - Concentration
CreditsCourse Title Course Description Credit Hours NRSG650 Advanced Pathophysiology for the Nurse Practitioner 4 NRSG651 Advanced Pharmacology for the Nurse Practitioner 6 NRSG652 Advanced Physical Assessment for the Nurse Practitioner 4 NRSG653 Advanced Physical Assessment for the Nurse Practitioner Lab 2 NRSG654 Role of the Nurse Practitioner 3 NRSG655 FNPI Advanced Nursing Practice: Care of the adult, geriatric and frail elderly 6 NRSG656 FNPII Advanced Nursing Practice: Women’s Health 2 NRSG657 FNPIII Advanced Nursing Practice: Pediatrics 2 NRSG660 FNPI Practicum: Advanced nursing care of the adult, geriatric and women patients 8 NRSG661 FNPII Practicum: Advanced nursing care of the pediatric patient 6 NRSG662 FNPIII Practicum: Advanced nursing care across the lifespan 7 NRSG663 FNPIII Advanced nursing care across the lifespan, Lab 2 Total Credit Hours: 52 Total Credit Hours: 52
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Ways to Save
Cost of this degree may be reduced based on one or more of the following:
- Active duty military status
- Number of credits transferred and accepted from other institutions
- Eligibility for a Corporate Alliances Grant (check with your CTU Admissions Advisor)
- Tuition Reimbursement (talk to your HR Manager)
- Grants or scholarships at CTU
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Outcomes
FNP Certificate Program Outcomes:
- Integrate technology in patient care management to improve health outcomes.
- Operate as an independent practitioner in the management of healthcare for patients across the lifespan.
- Formulate ethical plans of care which incorporate knowledge from current research, clinical guidelines, practice and assessment to improve health outcomes.
- Employ complex and advanced leadership skills in guiding change to improve health outcomes.
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Admission Requirements
- Possess a Master of Science in Nursing (in non-FNP concentration) from a programmatically accredited program
- MSN GPA of 3.0
- Provide a current resume that demonstrates a minimum of one-year recent direct care experience
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Next Steps
1. “Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners.” Occupational Outlook Handbook. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 1, 2020. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-midwives-and-nurse-practitioners.htm.
These job titles do not reflect specific degree program outcomes, but are provided as general industry career paths. This data represents national figures and is not based on school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary.
2. Tuition cost and program length assume a student will enter the program with the minimum or maximum prior MSN courses applicable to the CTU certificate, will be continuously enrolled, and will satisfactorily complete all program requirements for graduation. The total tuition cost will increase and program length may change due to academic failure of courses and/or withdrawals and drops. Transfer credit is evaluated on an individual basis. CTU cannot guarantee transfer or other credit will be accepted; please see University Transfer Credit Policy.
At this time, Colorado Technical University cannot accept inquiries for this certificate program from residents of the states of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming, or the European Union (EU).
CTU cannot guarantee employment, salary, or career advancement.
Not all programs are available to residents of all states. Programs vary by location and modality; see the University Catalog for details.